4/29/17 Yesterday I cleaned the interior some more. You have to be careful with armorall though, I accidentally wiped off some of the lettering for the cruise control.
Just wanted to mention If you use a cleaner on the interior make sure afterwards to use a protectant. Mequiars is good.
Missed your thread the 1st time around, congrats on the Fiero(s). Welcome to the forum too. That's cool you went to a car show with other Fieros, maybe down the road I'll see you at a show.
An 87 gt was my first car two years ago. Weeks later i had to get my first tool set. A few months later i had to pull my first engine and change the clutch on it. Now im doing my first swap on it. Youre going to have alot of fun and learn alot if you dont know about it already. Looks really nice so far what youre doing
That's awesome. It is a very fun and unique first car for sure. Definitely a learning experience for me. Thanks!
Originally posted by 2.5: The one on the right isn't factory its aftermarket. It has stands that are molded in, and cant unbolt from the wing correct?
Yes that is correct.
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Originally posted by 2.5:
I'm not sure what you are defining as "lacking an immediate snap". Cranks a while before starting, or runs odd after started.?
It takes a couple seconds to start up. Not that bad but it's a bit noticeable. Once started, it just sounds a little gurgley. It just sound a bit off.
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Originally posted by 2.5:
Just wanted to mention If you use a cleaner on the interior make sure afterwards to use a protectant. Mequiars is good.
Thanks, I'll have to look into that.
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Originally posted by 2.5:
Missed your thread the 1st time around, congrats on the Fiero(s). Welcome to the forum too. That's cool you went to a car show with other Fieros, maybe down the road I'll see you at a show.
Thank you. Yes, maybe I'll see you around. I think the next Fiero show I can go to isn't until September.
On Saturday we replaced the ICM. I suppose it didn't need to be replaced but at thirty years old it couldn't hurt.
On Sunday I went to the local weekly car show with my dad and my friend. It's not judged, but it's fun to show off your car and look at others. There's usually another Fiero there, but not this week. After a couple hours, my dad exclaimed, "Fiero, Fiero, Fiero!" A nice red formula had shown up. They were new to the area. It's nice seeing new Fieros around.
On Monday, my dad and I went to the Michigan Fiero club meeting. There was over a dozen people there, and about eight Fieros.
[This message has been edited by copperhens (edited 07-30-2017).]
I was in Key West recently and saw a guy doing metal work Wednesday. Asked if he could do a Fiero. I showed him a picture(maybe should've been a side shot not 3/4) and I got this forty minutes later. I think it looks pretty good considering it's all one wire!
On Saturday, I compared the floor mats I have in both my Fieros. The left ones I found in my spare Fiero, the right ones came in my Fiero. I found out the ones on the left are factory, and the ones on the right are for a Firebird. I ended up putting both sets in my Fiero. Trying to keep that floor extra stain free. :P
Saturday I decided to work on another project with the Fiero. The cigarette lighter port had some rust in it so it didn't work very well(not to smoke, but to charge my phone haha). I took the dremel and cleaned up the inside. The whole process took less than twenty minutes and now it works!
As I sat in the Fiero, I noticed how dirty the Fiero was around the shifter. Time to do some cleaning! One thing led to another, and I ended up taking off the whole center piece. Look at how dirty! Someone definitely smoked in this Fiero, but thank goodness it doesn't smell like it. I forgot to take an after picture, but trust me it looked a lot better.
In the photo before the last one, you can see the 'P' is white. The car sat so long the orange faded. I slipped some red tape in there and it looks better to me. Put everything together and I think it looks pretty good.
After cleaning the inside, I worked on the outside for a bit. I removed some more of that peeling top coat and cleaned the car a bit. Can't really tell though, oh well.
I also did the sides. Here is a before picture: And below is the after. I wish the deck lid and hood cleaned up as nice or else the Fiero wouldn't need to be repainted.
One last fun thing on Saturday! With my recently acquired drivers license, I took my brother out for a quick drive around town in the Fiero. He seems to like it. Too bad he doesn't want to have my spare Fiero and then I would for sure have to keep it lol.
Today, a friend of mind invited me over for a bit. While she only lived a mile away, it was still a bit scary to drive totally by myself. My friend commented she heard the Fiero a couple blocks away. And she seemed rather shocked how short it is haha. I may have peeked out her window just to look at my Fiero. Who knew I would like a car so much! After it was sitting in the sun, getting in it reminded me I need to recharge the AC.
Tonight there was a meeting for the Michigan Fiero Club. I was a bit late because my mom spotted a turtle hit by a car so we stopped to help it. Sounds like there will be quite a few Fiero events in August. Some pictures of the Fieros there. I love burgundy ones(no offense to mine, or course!). I didn't take mine this time.
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On August 5th, my dad wanted to drive the Fiero for whatever reason(admit it dad, you like it!) and as he backed up into the garage I noticed the Pontiac light up now says Ponac... Sigh, another project. Just an excuse for me to replace with LEDs, and clean the inside of the taillights.
On August 6th, my friend and I went to Bakers weekly cruise. There were not any other Fieros that week, but some other cool cars like a Ford GT and a Datsun.
It's so reflective sometimes.
Nice lookin' Ford GT.
Datsuns are pretty sweet and this one was clean.
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On August 10th, did't do too much. Drove the Fiero to a horse stable I go to regularly. I make sure to park in in a nice shady spot and away from other cars.
The spare Fiero/parts Fiero whatever you wanna call it Fiero had to be moved off the trailer. You think your Fiero has light problems? Check this one out: Half of the lights don't work. and when turned on, the left turn blinker doesn't blink it stays solid. Oh well, least it's not being driven right now.
The car has rust underneath but the trunk corners appear okay...
If it can do one thing at least, it's taking nice pictures.
August 11th was engine cleaning day(or at least putting in some effort)! 2.5 had posted a video on this forum from Youtube which motivated me to do this.
Here is the engine area before cleaning:
And the can thing. My dad had told me its purpose for maintaining pressure but I've since forgot the name. Anyway, I've seen people with theirs repainted so I wanted to do that to this one. Wouldn't it be funny though to paint it like a Campbell's Soup can? Haha.
I took it out and it also gave me more room to clean the engine area. I then took a dremel and cleaned it all up. Then taped up the plastic piece, and sprayed with primer and let it sit.
So much for nice weather. It was raining pretty bad and on and off. I had just cleaned the outside of the Fiero too. :/
Well I was sitting in the trunk to clean, and the rain was raining on my work, so I moved the stick holding up the decklid and with it lowered it protecting me and the engine from the rain lol.
I don't have any pictures, but under the can there was a whole lot of gunk. I scrapped as much as I could. My dad also brought out a steam cleaner so i used that too. I used some armorall and a dremel to make the aluminum parts look better.
The rain was getting ridiculous. Fiero, you can survive a hundred feet to the garage without your can. Fiero protested its missing can with a check engine light but made it to the garage.
Same day as my last post but it deserves a separate post.
When I got my Fiero, it had a spoiler.
I have since concluded it's an aftermarket spoiler.I wanted to take it off to see what it looks like, and maybe swap it with a factory spoiler. My dad advised against it. Well it was kind of hard to get off. Whoever put this on did an awful job. They thought they were spoiler experts and drilled two holes in the decklid an inch away from where they should've gone. Just why would you do it like that? And the screws were at some weird angle so we had to spin the spoiler to get it off.
Poor decklid.
After my dad saw the spoiler off, he liked it more. Said it looks more European. I was still undecided.
The torsion spring for the decklid can be adjusted for the weight (or lack thereof) of a spoiler.
Thanks! I'm kinda liking the no spoiler. I like keeping the car factory, and it shouldn't have a spoiler. Also don't see many GTs without it so it's pretty cool.
You and your mom get two thumbs up from me for that.
Nice thread. You're doing great.
Thanks!
We took the turtle home, and the next day I drove it out to a wildlife rehabilitation clinic and they managed to patch up its shell! Hopefully it pulled through.
On August 12th, I finished up touching up the engine area.
Here is the can all finished up. Took so long because it was so damp yesterday the paint wouldn't come out.
Here is the engine area. Hopefully it looks cleaner than it was originally haha.
Here are some of the bolts that I took off when I removed the cruise control. I debated painted them, but the only spray paint I had was black or green... Then I had a good idea, silver sharpie marker! Dried quicker than the paint too. Left is before, right is after. Even the little things makes it a bit nicer.
No surprise the Fiero has a leak again. It's transmission fluid I believe.
Looking good!
I thought we didn't have any black spray paint so I had my brother get some matte. Turns out there was a lot of it in the spare Fiero. Oh well, fresh paint for Fiero grills. Cleaned them up with some carb cleaner and gave them a fresh coat of black. Here is both of them unpainted:
And here is the left one painted:
We had a family reunion that day, so the Fiero was out of the garage. And no surprise what happens next... it rained. Can't keep these clean while living on a dirt road!
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On the 13th of August, my friend and I went to the Bakers weekly cruise again. It was so packed today I had to park on the grass. The grass was much cooler than the pavement though. To get up on the grass is this short, steep hill. Other Fieros were up there so I figured mine was good. Getting up wasn't the issue. When my friend and I were leaving and I went down the slope, the Fiero's nose hit the pavement and people looked oops. Luckily no damage! I'm not going down that way again though.
A nice Viper:
A Maclaren which I've never seen in person before:
Who owns sweet lookin' Fiero is that? Me. :P
Here is another '87 Fiero. I love burgundy!
V8 Fiero!
I'd hate to get into an accident with that truck. You can also kinda see the fourth Fiero that was there to the right of the truck. A black 88 GT.
After, I had to get gas for the first time. My friend made a pitstop at McD's and I headed home after with my brother. Kinda weird it was the Fiero's fourth tank of gas since I have gotten it?
The scuff from the nose hitting pavement. It rubbed off luckily.
[This message has been edited by copperhens (edited 08-23-2017).]
The spare Fiero is on the right. Think it was kind of upset with my daily and it marked its territory. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to put spare Fiero there since my daily Fiero would be stuck if the other one decided to not work. I was worried a moment because it stalled but I got it moved.
Daily Fiero left, spare Fiero right.
Yesterday I was messing around with spare Fiero as to why the radio wouldn't work. Checked all the fuses and they were okay.. Then my dad checked the radio's fuse and it was blown! Nice to have the radio issue fixed. Spare Fiero has the enhanced sound but I really couldn't tell a difference. The brakes started to go as well. They totally went that night, and when you press the brakes, fluid from the right rear side sprays all over. Since it's just the spare Fiero, it probably won't be fixed for a while.
Now to work on cleaning daily Fiero. It started to rain so I had to finish up in the garage. A wax really makes the paint look better.
Shiny.
I haven't mentioned it, but in July I signed up for the Detroit Public Television Live Road Show which was part of the Woodward Dream Cruise. I didn't think I'd be chosen... but I was. I was awfully nervous for the interview and hope my talking was okay, but I'm glad I did it after!
On the 19th, my friend found a cars and coffee event for us to attend. And as soon as I get there, guess what I do? Lock my keys in the car. I had to wake my dad up to bring my the spare set. Least we weren't too far and my dad got to see the cool cars that showed up.
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